Current Challenges in Environmental Decontamination and Instrument Reprocessing.

Decontamination of the clinical working environment and reprocessing of reusable dental instruments and devices are key components of modern infection control. This narrative review, which is part of a special issue devoted to contemporary infection control practices, highlights the latest evidence and the potential role of emerging technologies. The underpinning concepts of environmental decontamination and reprocessing have remained unchanged for many years, and key principles such as cleaning before disinfection or sterilisation remain true to the present day.

qPCR assay optimisation for a clinical study comparing oral health risk in Rett syndrome.

Purpose: This study aimed to validate qPCR assays for specific microbiota, for use on dental plaque samples stored on Whatman FTA cards to compare relative oral health risk in Rett syndrome.

Methods: Supragingival dental plaque samples were collected, using a sterile swab, (COPAN FLOQswab™) swabbed onto Whatman FTA™ cards. DNA extraction was performed using a modified Powersoil™ protocol.

Stain removal, abrasion and anticaries properties of a novel low abrasion dentifrice containing micro-fibrillated cellulose: in vitro assessments.

Objectives: This laboratory study assessed the performance of a novel fluoride dentifrice containing micro-fibrillated cellulose (MFC) and entrapped silica.

Methods: Removal of extrinsic stains was assessed using the pellicle cleaning ratio (PCR) method, and radioactive dentin abrasivity (RDA) was measured, to calculate a cleaning efficiency index (CEI). Fluoride efficacy was evaluated using widely used remineralization and fluoride uptake methods.

Investigation of laser wavelength effect on the ablation of enamel and dentin using femtosecond laser pulses.

We investigated the effect of femtosecond (fs) laser ablation of enamel and dentin for different pulse wavelengths: infrared (1030 nm), green (515 nm), and ultra-violet (343 nm) and for different pulse separations to determine the optimal irradiation conditions for the precise removal of dental hard tissues with the absence of structural and compositional damage. The ablation rates and efficiencies were established for all three laser wavelengths for both enamel and dentin at room temperature without using any irrigation or cooling system, and the surfaces were assessed with optical and scanning electron microscopy, optical profilometry, and Raman spectroscopy. We demonstrated that 515 nm fs irradiation provides the highest rate and efficiency for ablation, followed by infrared.

Rigid versus Nonrigid Fixation for Bilateral Mandibular Angle Fractures: A Retrospective Multicenter Review.

Background: Fractures involving the bilateral mandibular angle are an uncommon occurrence with limited evidence to inform the ideal fixation requirements for adequate treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of managing bilateral mandibular angle fractures and determine whether rigid fixation on 1 side improves outcomes compared with bilateral nonrigid fixation.

Methods: Patients with isolated bilateral mandibular angle fractures treated surgically at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Gold Coast University Hospital, and Townsville University Hospital between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2022, were identified retrospectively.

Positive impacts of oral health services provision by a student-led primary care clinic to an Australian rural indigenous community.

Background: This study aimed to determine whether oral health services provision by a dental student clinical outplacement embedded within a Community Controlled Health Service positively impacted a rural Indigenous community and to explore the nature of these benefits.

Methods: Aggregated and de-identified 2017, 2018 and 2019 student-led clinic services provision data were retrospectively analysed. The change in services mix over time was measured.

Interdisciplinary diagnosis and treatment planning for Class III malocclusion and determining the appropriate anterior tooth positions for individual patients.

Patients presenting with Class III malocclusion often present significant challenges for the orthodontist and restorative clinician. The characteristic anterior crossbite is commonly associated with a maxillo-mandibular skeletal base discrepancy leading to both functional and esthetic issues. Three potential incisal tooth positions are discussed using clinical examples including implants.

Evaluation of the diffusion of triamcinolone and demeclocycline through the dentinal tubules and apical foramen: A mass spectrometry study.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the diffusion of triamcinolone and demeclocycline from an endodontic paste when used unmodified, versus when combined in equal parts with a calcium hydroxide paste, in terms of diffusion through the dentinal tubules versus through the apical foramen.

Methodology: Medicaments were placed in endodontically prepared roots that were kept in vials of Milli-Q water. The five experimental groups in the study were (1) control - no medicament, (2) medicament containing triamcinolone and demeclocycline (T&D) and occluded apex, (3) T&D paste and patent apex, (4) T&D + calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)) occluded apex, and (5) T&D + Ca(OH) and patent apex.

Femtosecond laser dentistry for precise and efficient cavity preparation in teeth.

High fluence focused femtosecond laser pulses were used to perform fast, high precision and minimally damaging cavity cutting of teeth at room temperature without using any irrigation or cooling system. The optimal ablation rates were established for both enamel and dentin, and the surfaces were assessed with optical and scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and optical profilometry. No chemical change in the composition of enamel and dentin was observed.

Influence of eight debridement techniques on three different titanium surfaces: A laboratory study.

Objectives: Debridement methods may damage implant surfaces. This in vitro study investigated eight debridement protocols across three implant surfaces to assess both biofilm removal and surface alterations.

Material And Methods: One hundred sixty commercially pure titanium discs were treated to simulate commercially available titanium implant surfaces-smooth, abraded and abraded and etched.

Evaluation of the diffusion of calcium hydroxide-based medicaments through the dentinal tubules and apical foramen: A mass spectrometry study.

Aims: This mass spectrometry study investigated the diffusion of hydroxyl and calcium ions from a calcium hydroxide intracanal medicament (Pulpdent) when used alone or mixed in equal parts with a steroid-antibiotic paste (Ledermix).

Materials And Methods: The pH (using pH meter) and calcium ion concentration (using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry) of the diffused medicaments were assessed using endodontically prepared human extracted teeth with either a sealed or a patent apex, at time intervals of 1, 3, 8, 24, and 168 h.

Statistical Analysis: A one-way ANOVA was used to explore differences between and within groups, with Tukey-Kramer/Games-Howell posttests.

Enablers and barriers in dental attendance in Rett syndrome: an international observational study.

Aims: Intellectual and developmental disabilities are heterogeneous in aetiology and presentation, and one cannot make assumptions about the oral health barriers of those with Rett syndrome (RTT) based on findings from generic studies. This study investigated caregivers' perceptions regarding access to dental care for those with (RTT), and associations of dental treatments received by those with RTT with their caregivers' perceived value of oral health and perception of their own as well as their daughter's dental anxiety.

Methods And Results: Retrospective observational data of a subset of individuals with confirmed MECP2 mutations in the InterRett database (n = 216) were used to explore caregiver-related factors and their relationships with longitudinal data on dental service utilisation, using negative binomial regression.

A critical analysis of research methods and experimental models to study tooth discolouration from endodontic materials.

As a range of materials used in endodontics may cause tooth discolouration, exploration of factors responsible for the darkening of the tooth crown or root is warranted. This narrative review paper discusses the range of technical factors that apply in laboratory studies that assess endodontic discolouration. As an example of how these factors operate, particular examples relating to discolouration caused by endodontic medicaments containing tetracycline antibiotics are used.

The influence of delivery power losses and full operating parametry on the effectiveness of diode visible-near infra-red (445-1064 nm) laser therapy in dentistry-a multi-centre investigation.

The development of protocols for laser-assisted therapy demands strict compliance with comprehensive operating parametry. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the accuracy of correlation between laser control panel and fibre emission power values in a selection of diode dental lasers. Through retrospective analysis using successive systematic review and meta-analysis, it is clear that there is inconsistency in the details, and possible inaccuracies in laser power applied and associated computed data.

A Retrospective Analysis of Non-Sharps-Related Injuries in a Dental School.

Objectives: Workplace non-sharps injuries are a common occurrence in a dental school setting. In dentistry, the importance of preventing non-sharps injuries is often overlooked due to emphasis on sharps-related injuries. The aim of this research was to analyse the incidences of non-sharps injuries over an 11-year period in a dental school to identify trends and the possible causative factors for these injuries.

Comparison of Canal Transportation, Separation Rate, and Preparation Time between One Shape and Neoniti (Neolix): An In Vitro CBCT Study.

Purpose: This in vitro study compared root canal preparation in curved mesiobuccal canals of molar teeth using either the One Shape™ or the Neoniti (Neolix) rotary NiTi single-file systems, assessing canal transportation, instrument separation and time required for preparation. Extracted maxillary and mandibular human molar teeth with mesiobuccal canals having apical angles of curvature between 25 and 35 were selected and embedded in acrylic resin blocks, and an initial CBCT was taken. The teeth were divided into two equal groups ( = 20), and the canals were cleaned and shaped using either Neoniti™ or One Shape™ engine-driven NiTi rotary files.

Oral parafunction and bruxism in Rett syndrome and associated factors: An observational study.

Objectives: To explore patterns of parafunction, and bruxism, and its relationships with genotype and snoring in individuals with Rett syndrome (RTT).

Methods: Retrospective observational data of those with confirmed MECP2 mutations in the InterRett database (n = 216) were used to investigate experience of parafunctional habits, and bruxism and their relationships with genotype and snoring using multivariable linear regression.

Results: The prevalence of parafunction was 98.

Acid Resistance of Glass Ionomer Cement Restorative Materials.

In view of the need for aesthetics, restorations of teeth will typically be completed using tooth colored restorative materials. With the advent of biomimetic restorative materials, such as glass ionomer cements (GIC), much greater emphasis is now being placed on how well such materials can resist the challenge of acids that are present in foods and drinks, or gastric contents that are regurgitated. This laboratory study compared the dissolution and behavior of five GIC materials (GC Fuji VII, GC Fuji Bulk, GC Fuji IX Fast, Fuji IX Extra and GC Equia Forte Fil) when exposed to three acids (citric acid, phosphoric acid and lactic acid), versus ultrapure deionized water, which was used as a control.

Prevalence and Distribution of the Middle Mesial Canal in Mandibular First Molar Teeth of the Kerman Population: A CBCT Study.

Purpose: Missed additional canals are one of the most important reasons for RCT failures in molar teeth. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of middle mesial canals in mandibular first molars of the Kerman population.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective study was performed on de-identified cone beam image sets from 3 private radiology centers in Kerman.

Discrepancy in Therapeutic and Prophylactic Antibiotic Prescribing in General Dentists and Maxillofacial Specialists in Australia.

There are concerns that general dentists (GDs) and dental specialists may be prescribing antibiotics inappropriately. This study explored the prescribing habits and decision-making processes of GDs versus oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMFSs). A case-based online questionnaire was used to examine the prescribing of therapeutic and prophylactic antibiotics in two clinical scenarios.

Oral HPV16 DNA as a screening tool to detect early oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Given that oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) have now surpassed cervical cancer as the most common human papillomavirus (HPV)-driven cancer, there is an interest in developing non-invasive predictive biomarkers to early detect HPV-driven OPSCC. In total, 665 cancer-free individuals were recruited from Queensland, Australia. Oral HPV16 DNA positivity in those individuals was determined by our in-house developed sensitive PCR method.

An Occult HPV-Driven Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Discovered Through a Saliva Test.

Oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) is a rising global concern. Early lesions are small and are often located in difficult to access areas (such as the crypts of the tonsils or base of tongue). Unlike cervical cancer, there is no standard or routine screening program for HPV-driven OPC.

Novel Approaches to Detect and Treat Biofilms within the Root Canals of Teeth: A Review.

Biofilms located within the root canals of teeth are a unique and pressing concern in dentistry and in medical microbiology. These multispecies biofilms, which include fungi as well as bacteria, form in a protected site with low shear stress and low oxygen tension. Systemic antibiotics are of limited value because of the lack of blood flow of the site, and issues with innate and acquired resistance.